The artwork titled “Female interns practicing calisthenics at Manzanar internment camp” is a photograph taken by Ansel Adams in 1943. The photo captures a moment during World War II where Japanese American women, interned at the Manzanar internment camp, are engaged in physical exercise. The genre of this artwork is photography, and it serves as a historical document reflecting the conditions and daily life within the internment camp.
In the photograph, a young girl stands at the forefront, her expression neutral as she extends her arms to the side, reaching toward the hands of others whose arms are also outstretched but who remain outside the frame. She is wearing a buttoned cardigan and a skirt, and her hair is neatly cut in a bob style. Behind her, partially blurred, are other individuals participating in the same calisthenic activity, all seemingly in synchrony. The clear sky and stark background suggest an open, outdoor setting, and laundry can be seen hanging behind the participants, indicating the residential nature of their surroundings. The image communicates a semblance of normalcy and routine amidst the extraordinary circumstances of internment during wartime.
